


Stay With Me

by missporgy



Category: Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Divergent, F/M, HEA, Jedi Academy AU, Jedi Ben Solo, Movie: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Movie: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Mustafar (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:49:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22084441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missporgy/pseuds/missporgy
Summary: Rey’s parents decided selling her to Unkar Plutt wasn’t the best idea and instead went to that famous Jedi Luke Skywalker and he took her in to be in his new Jedi Academy.By her first month in she already knows everyone -  except for that sad boy in calligraphy class, who doesn’t talk much.
Relationships: Leia Organa/Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalker & Ben Solo, Rey & Luke Skywalker, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 20
Kudos: 69





	1. Detention

Even then, the kids bullied him a lot. They say he’s the grandson of Darth Vader.

Rey thought it must be terrible, to be related to someone the whole galaxy thinks is evil. He doesn’t seem evil. He had the kindest eyes, and she saw him smile once when his mom sent a letter.

As they grew up, the kids started to gossip about her too. She’s Luke’s kid. She’s Leia’s other kid. Maybe a Kenobi. She has no idea who she was, she just felt like nobody and liked it that way.

But the social structure in the Jedi school was built around your Force Powers and your lineage. Whispers of a kid being distantly related to Master Mace Windu. Someone’s uncle being the descendant of some obscure Jedi from the time of the Old Republic. There’s even a student that looks just like a small Master Yoda. They compared powers, making things float, mostly.

Rey felt out of place. Master Luke never told her who her parents were. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know – what does it matter? She was doing well with her lessons. She was doing particularly well in Flight classes. But the other students were mean.

They've become particularly vicious to the Vader kid - a group of students seem determined to torment him whenever they can, but mostly because they were scared of him. They say he was growing strong in the Dark Side.

\--

They were dismissive of Rey too. She was a nobody, and that invited a lot of wild theories as to where she came from. Ugly theories, sometimes -downright disrespectful . It made her angry how they talked about her. No one knows her. On Life Day, she overheard them saying her parents sold her for drinking money and lightning - lightning?? - shot out of her fingers and burned their bookbags.

She didn’t… mean to do it. She looked at her hand. That was the first time that has ever happened. She got sent to Jedi detention.

Great, she thought. Another reason for people to talk about her.

\----

She stomped into the detention hut way out in a secluded portion of the Academy and dropped her bag so violently all the stuff rolled out.

“How many portions do you have in there” The boy says as he picks them up and hands it to her. She looks up.

“I’m Ben Solo.”

“I know.” Everyone knows you, Vader kid.

“You do?”

 _“Ahh you do_ ” he says while smirking

“Can you not read my mind that is RUDE”

“I wasn’t reading your mind. Your ... notebook.” He points at her book still on the floor

Rey turned red. The kids from the Resistance academy are always here for Flight Games. Rose was one of her close friends. “That’s... just something stupid Rose and I did..it’s really mostly _her_ list”

“I’m...below Jay Calamari.”

“Stop.”

“Fine Jay IS kind of cute. But PoE Dameron?? Really?”

“I said STOP!!”

“And aren’t you girls bored with Will Antilles by now. He has that boring basic good looking face.’’

I SAID STOP!!!!

Rey’s schoolgirl notebook suddenly burst into flames. She gasps, runs and stomps on it to kill the fire.

\--

Ben just looks at her.

“You have to control that you know. I can show you the ways of the Force”

Rey stares at her hand. How does that keep happening? Where did she get that from? She was…afraid.

“Don’t be afraid. I know who you are.”

She was angry again. “What. A Kenobi?? A SkyWALKeR?? Why not go wild why not call me a -“

“Just Rey.”

\--

‘’You don’t need to be related to anyone. Let the past die. We are a new generation of Jedi, Rey. We should be allowed to forge our own path.’’

Ben went on, as if he was just waiting for someone to finally share these thoughts with ‘’You are powerful, Rey. I can feel it. Why do you have to be related to someone? We are all our own person, with our own potential. To be encumbered by who our parents were, who our family is … is limiting who we are ‘’

She looked at him. Ahh right. Vader’s grandson. The powerful Sith. Master Luke’s nephew. And this was also the golden boy of the swashbuckling resistance hero Han Solo and the beautiful and brave Leia Organa. It shows though – he was both rugged and manly, with a face chiseled like ancient sculpture. But also - soft and beautiful, vulnerable and open - with eyes as pretty as his mother’s. To be completely honest he looks hotter than resistance teen dream Will Antilles. She’ll never tell Rose that though. Or anyone. He was the Vader kid. He was weird. Nobody liked him. He was -

“Rey?”

“Ben...i’m..thank you. For what you said.’’ Rey felt much less eloquent than cultured, well-read Ben Solo

‘’It’s …um…no one has ever made me feel like I’m allowed to be happy with just myself.”

“Well..thank you also”

“For what?”

“For thinking I look better than Will” he smirked

—

Her eyes widened. _“SToP REaDING MY MIND!!”_

Ben chuckled. “I’m sorry..you spaced out I thought you were trying to send a force message. Or passing out.”

She just glared at him.

“Also don’t worry I know what people say about me.’’ Ben’s eyes went blank as he stared straight ahead, not even looking at Rey. ‘’ I can..hear it. I hear I’m a monster. I hear it..all the time”

—-

Rey was taken aback. She didn’t think he was a monster. It’s not something she’s heard anyone say either. 

“Nobody says that Ben. People just gossip about you a lot, maybe they’re a little scared of you ..and well you don’t talk to anyone so they’re bound to make their own…”

“I’m talking to _you_.”

“Why?”

“You know how it is. For people to talk about you. Exclude you. Try to make you something you’re not.”

Yes she does.

—-

She knows what he means too, about hearing voices. She knows they’re not the other students. She hears them even at night.

It’s a woman’s voice. Haunting and sad. Asking her to undo what she has caused. Asking her to finish what she started. She hasn’t told Master Luke. She hasn’t told anyone – what would they think of her then? During the day it’s just whispers, gentle – at night it becomes louder in her head. More demanding. Please – help me. How can I help you?? She thought. I’m nobody.

“It’s scary. It’s isolating. I feel so..alone” She said out loud.

“You’re not alone.” Ben looked at her intensely.

Rey caught his gaze, and there was only one thing she wanted to say.

“Neither are you”

——

It was suddenly very quiet. She can’t hear anything. Ben was just..looking at her.

She wanted to tell him about the voices.

“Ben...I..”

The door swung open. Luke walks in. He looks at both of them for a moment.

“Okay padawans. Special lesson for you troublemakers. Today we will learn about...Anakin and Padme.”

—-

Luke was up in mid-air in a lotus position.

_“Try spinning, that’s a good trick!”_

“Father. You are with me.”

_“You are my son. Of course I am with you”_

“Father, Master Yoda has taught me so much. But I feel there is still much for me to learn. These kids - I don’t know how to -“

_“Your mother. She was beautiful, did you know that?”_

“Father”

_“I need to tell you, about Padme. About us. It’s important, Luke. You need to know, and you need to teach the padawans. It’s more important than teaching these kids how to lift rocks. Your sister was right’’_

—

His nephew had always been special. Leia said she can feel his light even in her womb. Luke was worried. He knows that with powerful light comes powerful darkness, but he never told her. He also knows he can’t hide anything from his sister. She knew.

“Luke, there is darkness in me. I can feel it. I have to protect my boy..” she chokes back tears as she watches toddler Ben chase a lizard and try to eat it.

“I need to train him, Leia. He will need to learn to defend himself from the Dark Side..” Luke watched Ben catch the lizard in hands. And then let it go to try and chase it again. ‘’Knowing how the Dark Side works, it may be starting already’’

Luke’s words pierced Leia’s heart. “No. Luke’’ She will make sure his boy knows Love. It is more important than lifting rocks.

“No. he’s still a baby, Luke. He needs me. He needs to learn about love. He needs his father. He needs his father’s heart.”

——

Luke is used to parents coming to him with their force sensitive children. Sometimes it’s concerned parents - they don’t know what to do with this child suddenly showing powers that scared them. Sometimes it’s parents insisting their child is the new Chosen one.

But this girl was different. They came in the middle of the night. The girl was wrapped so tightly and the parents were hooded. The woman pleaded with him. Please, take her she is only safe with you. The man barely talked, but he can tell he was in pain from having to let go of his sweet girl.

—-

His Father has been counselling him for the whole morning.

“This is why, Luke - forbidding attachments is the first flaw of the Jedi. How can you be one with the Force without finding the Force in others?”

“But Father! The Sacred Jedi Code!”

_“Read it Luke. It sounds good, but the world we live in IS emotions, passions, ignorance and chaos. Not all live in a remote island with fish nuns.’’_ Luke chuckled. He likes those fish nuns.

_‘’The Force is in you – and all around you. To shut yourself from others is to shut yourself from the Force. We are not alone. What we do - who we are - always affects others. What we do for our own Knowledge, Serenity and Harmony is good - this is the Jedi way. But if we do those for others, that is Love. So you can say we are encouraged to love. Or - we should be. Do you understand, Luke?’’_

——

‘’..and Anakin, now twisted by the Dark Side into the Powerful Sith Darth Vader – never stopped looking for his Padme. He only found peace when he knew their children still saw the Light in him. It was like Padme was there with him, finally’’ Luke trailed off. He relays this as a story, but he was there. He saw the Light in his father.

Ben knew about Anakin. He has heard this story before. Was it from his mother? No she never talked about him – she was afraid, afraid to expose Ben to the Dark Side. It was the first time he heard it from his uncle too. Dad wouldn’t have talked about all this either. He’s not into all that sappy stuff and mumbo jumbo. Dad. Ben smiled. They were so close. He missed him.

—

No, he knew about Anakin from dreams. And visions. It would always start fun, happy, full of adventures - even..love. And then pain, and darkness. Longing, and sorrow. Then the voices would come. Always the voices. He has heard them for as long as he can remember.

Since he was young, the voices have always been there.

He hasn’t told anyone.

\---

Rey on the other hand, has never heard this story before. Her eyes widened and soon welled with tears. Padme was so - tragic. She looked at Master Luke, for answers. For some sort of reassurance that made sense.

_She is at peace, Rey._

How can she be?? She stood up. Rey was angry. Padme deserved better. She was kickass in the Senate telling off all those men. She was a great fighter. Her only mistake was to love – and she went through so much pain. She didn’t see her children grow up. It’s – not fair.

_Rey, sit back down._

Master Luke, I need a moment.

—-

Rey walked out of the hut. How can her heart hurt for someone she hasn’t met before? She walked briskly back to the Quarters. Master Luke can extend her detention all he wants.

“She is in the Vergence Scatter, I think” Ben yelled, while walking quickly behind her. “I’ve read about it”

At the sight of him walking towards her, catching up with her – she felt relief.

“What’s that?”

“The World between Worlds”

—-

“He wanted the power of the Dark Side, to save her. And then to try and get her back.” They stopped walking now.

“Can the dark side..do that?” Rey asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Yes.” Ben whispered

“Alright kids” Luke’s voice rang through the forest. “Let’s just finish the lesson tomorrow. Remember you still have two days of detention. Go back to your huts”

—-

But they didn’t.

“Tell me - about the dark side.” Rey whispered as they resumed walking back to the student’s quarters

Ben smiled. “Rey. You’re not really asking for a dark side tutorial from the weird Vader kid are you?”

“Well Master Luke wouldn’t talk about it. And you seem to..read a lot”

—-

He did. He loved reading - he prefers it over hanging out with the other students. Also, he knows the dark side is in his blood. He thought that maybe, if he reads the sacred texts, if he studies well enough, he can learn how to avoid it.

He was wrong.

—-

Rey pondered the words. Ben watched her ponder the words.

“That’s the Sith code” He pointed out. The book was open in his lap, and Rey was straining her neck to read with him in the soft light. They’ve been huddled like this all afternoon, poring through the sacred texts, both light and dark. She was so curious.

She’s so… _near._ Ben thought.

“It’s so...violent....DARK” Rey was shaking her head

“It was written by Sorzus Syn, the first Sith. She was expelled from the Jedi Order..’’ Ben explained

“She?”

“..for exploring the Dark Side”

—

Rey suddenly felt ..frightened. “Ben. I think we should stop.”

“We’re not going to be expelled’’ he chuckled. ‘’We’re just reading books..”

“I don’t know, but this feels like a mistake to read up too much on this. I am afraid, Ben”

Ben closed the book. “Don’t be afraid, I feel it too.”

—

“You do?”

“I hear voices Rey. I try to shut them out but nothing really works, except - “

“Except what?”

“Except when I’m near you”


	2. The Incident

Everyone was talking about the new kid Rey. No one saw who dropped her off. Even then, the other kids were already gossiping about where she’s from.

Ben couldn’t care less. He’s learned to keep to himself, and students come and go anyway.

—-

She was a curious little student. Friendly. Her smile could light up a room. Although he mostly kept to himself, he found himself being drawn to the girl.

When she looks at him, the noises go away. Very curious thing. This only happened when he was with his mother.

—-

_“You have to go with your Uncle now, Ben”_

Ben was inconsolable. He can’t leave. He needs his mom. His dad. He doesn’t even want to be a Jedi.

“What if..what if I don’t remember how to get home mom” he wailed

_“Ben, look at me. Trust in the Force. Always. It will lead you home to me”_

That was the last time his head was completely quiet.

—-

Until Rey. They hardly had any classes together, Ben was much more advanced in training.

When they did though he was calm. When they pass each other, he was calm.

He was curious about her. The other students talked about her a lot. At first just curious, mindless chatter. Then more malicious gossiping. He can’t stand these people.

She was even starting to get into trouble. There was an incident that morning, when she burned a couple of those mean girls’ bookbags. He was proud. And also – Force Lightning, not bad. He heard she was being sent to the detention hut.

Behind him, one of his bullies was getting ready to throw a rock at him.

—-

“Ben!!!”

Luke’s voice bellowed out.

Ben looked up. Ashamed, but also surprised – and a little proud - at himself. He wasn’t going to do it but that bully was going to hit him. He stretched out his hand , and the kid flew to the ceiling, and with a twist of his hand dropped to the floor.

He was going to detention too.

He smiled a little.

—-

“Ben” Rey broke his reverie.

Ben looked at Rey, remembering what he just told her. About the voices. He has never told anyone about them before, not Master Luke, not his mother. Was she..crying?

“I have to tell you something too.”

“Something inside me..has always been there. I feel I’m here for..something. I feel it more..when I’m with you”

—-

He said nothing.

“Rey..I want to..try something. I..I read it somewhere”

Rey’s eyebrows furrowed a little. She wondered what reading material he was talking about.

He held out his hand. He wanted her to take it.

——

Oh. She thought. Just that, she can do that.

She held out her hand. She couldn’t look at him, it was - too much? This was all too much. She was in a boy’s QUARTERS maybe she should leave..

“Look at me”

Her eyes met his. Suddenly there were no sounds. There were no walls. No dirt floor. No books. There was ...nothing else.

But him.

—

Luke stopped in his tracks. Something was happening.

He started walking to it, not knowing what it was, but it came from the student quarters. Was someone hurt?

_You know what it is, Luke. Search your heart you know what is true._

The kids. They are of age now.

—-

He has been dreading this. Ben was a pretty young man, and he’s always thought he’d have to peel the girls off him to keep things Jedi…but he hasn’t really had any girlfriends. Actually – no friends. Just now. Just this girl, Rey. REY. He knows who she is. It’s not a coincidence that his father asked him to tell that story at this time. Now he fears it has stirred something in the young padawans.

Father! Always stirring things up.

_“This is where the fun begins”_

Oh stop, father.

Luke was running now.

—-

“Rey. Where is she?”

The students looked up from their sabacc game.

“..And you shouldn’t be playing that here!”

“We haven’t seen her Master Luke. We thought she was in detention”

—-

It was hazy, but the shape of it was solid and clear.

It was dark, just the flicker of candlelight and the familiar walls of the Jedi Academy quarters.

Ben felt her hand on his face. Was this … happening? Or was this part of the vision?.

Is she actually holding my face — am I really looking at her like we’re about to -- is she..on my lap?? Ben felt something stirring. Something un-Jedi like was happening. He had no complaints.

She pulled his face closer to hers.

He smiled.

He stopped caring if this was real or not.

She traced his smile. She buried her fingers in his hair. All this time just looking, staring, both of them getting lost in each other’s eyes. He wrapped his hand on her back, then on the back of her neck. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer.

—

“ _STOP!!!”_ No one was there.

But the voice was loud in his head.

His eyes flew open.

The vision faded. He was still just holding her hand after all. But her eyes were still closed. She was smiling. He looked at her and felt immeasurable peace.

Then her face changed.

She looked - worried? Sad. She lurched forward.

Then tears started to roll down her face.

\----

What was going on? Ben started to worry.

She started shaking.

“Rey. Rey. I’m here. I am with you”

She opened her eyes, still full of tears. “Ben!! Ben!! We were..you were..you..”

She reached out to hug him. He hugged her back. He was surprised, pleasantly so, her touch was so calming, so real. ‘’Shh Rey, it’s going to be okay. It’s just a vision. It’s not real.’’

But she wouldn’t stop crying.

—-

He wasn’t sure why she was crying. But he felt her grief all over his soul.

How bad could the rest of that vision have been? We were about to …kiss.

He hasn’t really kissed a girl before and he almost did, even if it was just a vision. He hasn’t really met anyone he wanted to, except Rey.

She was beautiful. Even all unkempt and with her eyes full of tears. Beautiful. Almost like - an angel.

He wanted to protect her. He wanted her to stop crying. She was still in his arms. He wanted her to stay in is arms forever.

“Please Rey – tell me what happened’’

—

“Rey. Reeeey!!”

“It’s Master Luke. Ben, I have to go.”

Ben didn’t want her to go.

“Stay.”

“Ben...please. Please take care”

“We’re in detention anyway. Just stay with me.”

“I have to go’’

‘’Don’t leave. Stay with me. Stay with me.’’ He reached out for her wrist.

Rey gave him a sad smile, and then slid out of the room into the night.

—

Of course Luke knew they were in Ben’s quarters.

He just didn’t really want to walk in on anything. That happened before with a couple of students.. and it was a terrible experience for all involved. He just sent his naughty nephew Ben a force message.

For good measure he just yelled out for Rey a couple of times. That ought to do it.

Crazy kids.

—

He’s HAN SOLO’s kid, Han must’ve already talked to him about the porgs and the bees at some point. Not like Luke has a lot to say about it either, he has lived the life of a Jedi.

But, he sighed - he promised Leia he’d look out for her boy. He decided to go pay Ben a visit a little later on, for that uncle-nephew talk.

—-

Touching her was like..touching a live wire. Holding her was like going into Hyperspace. Ben felt so – alive.

He saw everything in her mind. She saw everything in his. It was like they were two halves of the same soul.

He has read about this.

Ben was frantically looking through the sacred texts.

What was that - a .. Dyad?

Dyad..Dyad..Dyad — force bonds..Life Force. Force Bonds. Force Transference .. he read and read. Soon he was holding the book of the Sith.

——

The book felt heavy in his hands. He has read through it before. He knows he shouldn’t. But he wanted to understand…him.

Why did he turn to the Dark Side?. Maybe there is more to the dark side than Master Luke lets on.

_Finish what I started Ben. Do what I couldn’t. You have to”_

Finish what, grandfather? He was almost afraid to hear the answer.

—

 ** _“Rey will DIE, Ben Solo -- just like Padme”_** It wasn’t his grandfather anymore. It was that voice again.

 ** _“That’s what she saw, child. She didn’t want to die. She saw herself die. It was because of YOU!”_** Then a blood curdling cackle.

—-

Ben felt his heart drop. He can’t breathe.

Rey - no. She was an angel. She was — his only friend. He thought of that vision - having her in his arms, holding her, bringing her closer to him..

He can’t lose her. Not if he can help it.

\--

 **“The dark side can give you the power. DO IT BEN SOLO. Finish what your grandfather started!!”** His evil cackle rang in his ears

No. Stop. He put his hands on his ears and curled up into a ball. Please stop. He put his arms around him. He prayed for sleep.

—-

Luke knocked on Ben’s door.

“Ben. It’s me”

He wasn’t answering. Luke walked in half expecting his young padawan to be buried in his books again, or quietly doing calligraphy.

But he was asleep.

—

He looked at this boy - Han and Leia’s kid - that he loved so much. A princess and a scoundrel - what a combo! He smiled.

He only wishes he can tell what’s going on in that boy’s mind. He was always quiet, brooding, sad. Luke was worried - he was clearly troubled. Maybe he missed his parents. Maybe he was being bullied? Oh Leia would never forgive him if he -

_Look inside, Luke._

—-

I can’t.

I’ll just talk to him tomorrow -

He was making his way out of Ben’s quarters when he saw it. The Book of the Sith.

—

How did he- where did he get this? Luke picked it up. Ben has been reading this for a long time. The pages are worn. He has marked entire passages.

No. It can’t be.

Luke looked at the sweet sleeping boy and he knew. The darkness has started in him. It may have already taken hold.

**_Look inside Luke._ **

\-----

Luke saw it.

A menacing masked figure walking down from a ship. Lor San Tekka. Planets, burning. Many planets.

Han. HAN.

LEIA. On a bridge. This masked figure, getting ready to fire at her.

No. It can’t be. My sweet Ben.

—

**_End this Luke. Protect your friends. Protect the galaxy. This is who you are._ **

The darkness enveloped Luke Skywalker like a giant wave.

—

_And the next thing he saw_

_were the eyes of a frightened boy_

_whose master had failed him._

—-

Ben opened his eyes.

Someone is here.

It’s Master Luke.

He felt relief. He will get help. If anyone can help him his uncle can. He was LUKE SKYWALKER. They can protect Rey together, and -

—

The unmistakeable sound of a lightsaber sliced through the silence

Green light filled the room

No, no, no please

He’s going to kill me.

He grabbed his saber and raised his hand in defense.

—-

Rey can’t stop thinking about him as she walked back to her quarters.

His kind and beautiful eyes. The way his hand felt like a shock through her entire being. That vision. His face, his hair, his smile. That kiss.

And his life force, slowly fading. Ben Solo, fading away. Ben Solo, dying.

—

Did she do that. Was it her fault. Did she …take his life force? Has she..done that before?

She felt the tears coming again. Who WAS she? who was she meant to be?

Ben..Ben understood this feeling.

She wished she stayed with him.

—

Ben. She only really talked to him - this morning. But she feels she has known him forever. He feels like - home. His nerdy stack of books. His dark hair. His cocky smirk. His smile, his eyes – which she feels were forever fixed on her.

And he will die..because of her.

She knew that now. She saw it happen. They must not be together. She has to save him. She knows what she has to do, but she barely had the strength to do it.

Rey packed her meager belongings. They wouldn’t miss me. Students run away all the time. They wouldn’t miss Rey Nobody.

_But he will. He asked you to stay._

She shook her head. She needs to save him. She knows it wasn’t just a vision. The urge to flee was too strong.

—-

She sneaked out of the student quarters. In a few minutes she was deep into the forest.

She didn’t see Ben’s quarters implode. She didn’t see the commotion.

She didn’t see the students, one by one, turn their lightsabers on.

She didn’t see the dark figures walk into the Jedi school. More ghosts than men. Clad in dark armor. There to carry out orders from a dark master.

Orders to take Ben Solo.

**And kill everyone else.**

—

What she did feel was a sharp pain in her heart. Ben. Ben Solo.

We will see each other again, I believe that.


	3. Jakku

**_Stay. Stay with me._ **

She dreamt of him.

Every day.

—

Through the twists and turns of fate, Rey ended up in the desert planet of Jakku.

Literally, nowhere.

She found work with the local junkboss Unkar Plutt, serving food and drinks in his dusty old Cantina in exchange for her food and shelter. She has been here for half a year now.

Nothing ever happens on Jakku, and she liked it that way. A nobody, nowhere with nothing. Sounds right.

—-

But even Jakku was not spared from galaxy gossip. In the cantina, they started to speak of the rising First Order. Their new shiny ships. Their conquest of all the planets.

They wouldn’t bother going here, Rey thought. But we’ll be able to get great junk from those ships! Imagine the payload! She smiled. We’ll probably get better food than this powdered bread.

They spoke of the First Order’s pride and joy, the Supremacy. The only Mega Class Dreadnought in the galaxy. In whispers, they would also speak of their frightening new Enforcer. Their war dog. The mighty Kylo Ren.

—-

Working in the Cantina is a good honest job, although she did have to swat away a couple of drunks being a bit – handsy – a couple more times than she’d care for.

So when a man stumbled in late in the night, swaying - almost crawling in, asking for water - her defenses were up. She looked around. She was the only one here at this hour. Well, her and the cleaning lady, Mok-ka. Great. She’s about a hundred years old.

She looked at her staff. She might need to use it.

—

She hands him some water.

“You have to pay for that” 

The man takes off his hood. His white beard was caked with blood. He had a gash across the side of his face.

—

Rey gasped. This old man was severely injured! She ran to wet some rags and gently patted the man’s face. “Sir! We need to get you to the medical hut!”

“That’s a parsec away young lady. I just need some water and a place to rest”

“Please” Rey helped him to one of the booths. Violent fights are not uncommon in Jakku, and this man wasn’t the first to walk in here like this. But this was no gang member or spice runner. He was well dressed - and carried himself with such calm even with that nasty gash. She wondered who he was and where he came from.

“Lor San Tekka” he said.

Was he - reading her mind?

“I come from the settlement - just outside Jakku”

That’s a peaceful settlement, Rey thought. Maybe he walked into the wrong side of Jakku and got robbed. But all his jewelry was still on him.

—

”It was Kylo Ren.”

“KYLO REN!” She gasped. Then whispered again. “Kylo ren?? What is he doing here?? What is the First Order doing here”

“I carry some important information that they have been after for a long time. They..found me” he sounded like he was starting to have trouble breathing.

Rey was worried. If she’s harboring a First Order enemy she might get in trouble too.

“Please - young lady. Please take this. I don’t think I have much time left”

He was handing her a small data stick .

“No. Sir. Please. I don’t want to get involved”

—-

“You are our last hope, Rey.”

Rey’s eyes widened. How did he know her name? And what in the galaxy was he TALKiNg ABoUT??

“I worked with Luke Skywalker at the Jedi Academy. We ran missions together - most of the time he’d send me alone because he was busy with you students”

Lor San Tekka. She looked at his face. She has seen this man. With Master Luke.

He didn’t stumble in here. He was looking for her.

“Master Luke! How is he? How are the ..other students?” She tried to contain her excitement.

“I’m sorry Master, for running away. I didn’t think I’d be missed. I..I had to leave.”

“Rey…” Lor San Tekka looked at her sadly.

“…You don’t know what happened, do you?”

—

“Luke sent me to a mission to the Outer rim, right before Life Day’’

Life Day. That was..that was the day she was with Ben.

“I was off on the mission when I felt a great disturbance in the Force - as if a hundred souls cried out in terror and were silenced”

Rey’s heart was racing.

“I turned back. And the Academy..was burning”

No.

“Every single one of the students were dead, Rey.”

No.

“I’m so sorry”

No.

No.

Ben.

She felt herself breaking into a million pieces.

—-

She didn’t hear anything else he said.

How he sat there in despair, wondering how this happened. 

How he had to bury the students.

He had to count them, to look at them, one young face after another.

How he almost lost his mind.

—

“Rey. Luke is alive”

Rey looked up. Master Luke? “Just Master Luke survived?”

She thought of all the students. All of them, gone. Young jedis. She was in complete shock. Who-what-did this? Was it the First Order?

“It was Kylo Ren. He did this. The First Order wanted to finish what the Emperor started. Kylo Ren came and killed everyone, to wipe out the Jedi order” His face darkened ‘’To finish Order 66’’

No. That _monster._ How can he kill students?

“Luke left me this. He had a note to make sure this gets to a Jedi. You have to find him Rey. Bring this to General Organa. Please”  
Lor San Tekka placed both in her hands.

''I am not a Jedi sir. I am nobody. I was a student for a couple of years that's all''

''You are our last hope Rey''

"But..how did you find me? How did you know I was alive?''

“I didn’t find your body, Rey…” Lor San Tekka trailed off..

Of course he didn't. She ran away before it happened. She ran away because she wanted to save..

“.. _And Ben Solo’s_.”

—-

Rey looked at him searchingly. Somewhere- Ben was alive?

“Rey - his quarters were charred beyond recognition. I never found his body. It was all ashes. He is gone, Rey.”

His quarters. She was there. She was with him.

She ran away to save him. Maybe the Force saved her instead.

—-

_“Stay with me”_

_Rey opened her eyes. She was dreaming again. Of him._

_She wondered when this would stop._

_Please stop. He’s gone. He’s really gone now._

_And that familiar ache in her heart swelled again._

—

Under a pile of clothes and a few books, Lor San Tekka’s data stick and Luke’s note lay untouched for another 6 months.

The old man passed away by dawn. Right there in the Cantina. Kylo Ren’s saber sliced through the poor man’s face, down to his chest. He did not stand a chance. By the end he was delirious, she thought.

“Rey. Find Luke. Ask him what happened”

She tended to his wound in a haze.

“The students...some of them had lightsaber wounds”

—

Only Jedis wield lightsabers. There are no more Sith. Unless he is implying Master Luke had a hand in this - which was impossible. No, he must have lost some blood in his head and it’s short circuiting up there, she thought.

Just before he passed on he seems to have really lost it. His eyes widened suddenly and almost crazed, he gripped her arm and he whispered “Find Ben Solo”

How can she? He is gone. Burned down. He himself said, his quarters were charred beyond recognition. He is in the - what did Ben say? In the ..World between Worlds.

 _“With Padme_.” She said out loud, getting ready to go to work.

“...Aaaand I am talking to myself again”

Rey stared straight ahead, emotionless. She is good at this, building up walls. Living in denial. She has been doing this since she was a child. Because she knows if she lets the darkness in - if she for one moment sat down and really thought about how alone she was - abandoned by her parents, her friends - and Ben Solo - she would explode. Hiding, Hiding is good.

She looked at her hand. It hasn’t created lightning since that day she was sent to detention. Good, she thought.


	4. Kylo Ren

Ben didn’t know what happened next.

All he remembered was that he felt immense hurt and betrayal at seeing his Master - his uncle - draw his saber to KILL HIM.

Years of pent up pain

Hurt

Anger

People talking about him in hushed tones. His own parents talking about him.

People trying to hurt him. Throwing rocks. Calling him names.

That voice, telling him he’s a Monster. Everyday.

**Good. Good. Feel The Hate Flow Through You..**

The walls of his quarters came crashing down and there was only darkness.

—-

When he came to, everything was burning.

Master Luke was pinned under a heavy beam.

Master Luke! Ben ran to him.

_“What..did you DO Ben”_

A group of 12 students was blocking his path. Their lightsabers were drawn.

“No. Please - I need to check if he is okay”

_“We should have known. You’re here to finish what Vader has started. To kill Master Luke!”_

“No. Please - it was an accident! “ Ben was sobbing now. “He..he tried to kill me”

 _“LIES!!”_ The students shifted to attack.

Ben called his saber .

—-

He tried not to kill them.

He went for arms and legs.

But there were 12 of them and 1 of him.

Soon he was on the ground. He doesn’t know how many he hit. There are just so many.

He was blacking out again. He thought of Rey.

Rey!

He needs to make sure she is safe. He started to get back up. They’ll run away from this place. They’ll start a new...

One of the students, full of rage and fear, kicked him in the head.

——-

It was then that the shadowy figures descended upon the Academy.

Bringing death.

—-

**_Get Up Now, Ben Solo._ **

His eyes flew open. It was quiet. Deathly quiet.

His vision was still blurry. All he can see was the burning. And the bodies. So many bodies.

All 12 students lay on the ground. Lifeless. He can see his saber marks on their arms and legs.

He crawled, sobbing. He looked around. More bodies.

He stood up. No.

Soon he was running all around the Academy. Not one of them was alive.

No.

REY.

He can’t find her. He can’t feel her. Ben held his head in his hands.

**_You did this Ben Solo._ **

No.

**_The power of the dark side has always been strong in you._ **

No. Stop.

Master Luke. Master Luke was alive..he felt it.

**_You killed him too Ben. All of them._ **

Please make this stop.

_**It’s too late now. You can never go home. You can never be a Jedi. Come with me.** _

Ben wasn’t listening. He was still searching for anyone who was still alive. He was still searching for her.

**_She is gone, boy. But you can still bring her back._ **

...I can?

**_Search inside of you Ben. You KNOW the only way to bring her back is through the power of the Dark Side. There is nothing for you here now._ **

He looked around. Over a hundred lifeless students. Master Luke. He did this. Him. Ben Solo. The kid everybody avoided. The son his own parents were scared of.

His head was spinning. He was..this powerful? He has never seen this power before even in the texts. Maybe even more powerful than his grandfather. This is who he is. If he learns how to wield this maybe - maybe he can bring her back. He has nowhere else to go now.

_Come with us._

Six dark figures emerged from the shadows.

_Come with us._

_We will protect you._

—-

Rey hears about Resistance exploits in the Cantina. There are deserters from both sides in Jakku. There are no politics here. She doesn’t get involved.

But it makes her happy to hear about her old friends - now high ranking officials in the Resistance. Poe Dameron. Will Antilles. And Rose! Rose was in command of her own fleet, she’s heard. She was so proud of her. Of all of them. She wondered if they remember her at all. Or recognize her.

It's just been a year now, but the little smiling Jedi schoolgirl is no more. Her time in Jakku has made her hard. Her three buns which took forever to put on, was impractical for this life. Most of the time she just kept it in a half ponytail, just to get her hair out of her face.

This was also how her hair was, she remembered, in the vision. With Ben. In his quarters. It was so long ago now. But it was still so clear. He exists now, she thought, only in my memory.

—

Rey sometimes thought about that data stick. And imagined herself on a wild adventure to take it to her friends. To General Leia Organa. Ben’s mother.

No, she shook her head. Her place is here. No politics. No Jedi. No adventures. They mean nothing to her now. Her soul had nothing.

—-

_"Skywalker lives. The seed of the Jedi Order lives. As long as it does, hope lives in the galaxy."_

Kylo Ren has learned to mask his emotions. He did not move. He didn’t react. He just looked at his new Master. Master Snoke – rumors were that he was a puppet of the old Emperor Palpatine, still lurking in the shadows beyond death. He was just a hologram, for from the Supremacy - but his hold on Kylo was strong, and has always reprimanded any sign of weakness in his Dark Side Enforcer. So Kylo has learned to hide his heart.

But his heart was a flurry of emotions.

I knew it. I knew he was alive.

When he finds out what I’ve done - He probably knows. He knows what I’ve done.

Luke. He tried to kill me. HE TRIED TO KILL ME. He can feel the anger rising in him again.

Master Snoke saved him. Taught him how to wield his true power. Showed him how worthless he really is without the dark side. Luke was holding him back. They all were.

“I will find him, Master. I will find him and I will end him. And the Jedi Order”

——

“We know where the data stick is sir” Mitaka proudly announced.

It wasn’t too difficult, Mitaka thought. He didn’t know how Lor San Tekka got away - the man was over eighty! And the temperamental Kylo Ren did a real number on him. When they didn’t find the data stick anywhere in his village he sent his men on intel in nearby Jakku.

The old cleaning lady broke easily. She remembers him walking into the Cantina. Talking with the girl until dawn. She left then, but was sure they were talking about something important. Mitaka was sure the data stick is with the girl.

\----

“WHAT...GIRL??”

“Her name was Rey, sir. Rey from Jakku’’

“Rey.”

Kylo Ren let the sound hang in the air. It was a long time since he said it. A cruel twist of fate, he thought.

Whoever she is, she has the map to Luke Skywalker. And he will get it, no matter what.

—-

The sound of ships landing on Jakku wasn’t unusual.

The sound of a state of the art First Order Upsilon class command shuttle, however - along with the rolling sound of First Order Stormtrooper transports - was unheard of.

Rey felt an urge. To run. The last time she felt that she avoided the massacre at the Jedi Academy. She grabbed her staff.

She ran.

—

Kylo Ren ordered the Stormtroopers to capture and interrogate everyone at the Cantina , patrol Jakku and set up roadblocks.

He stayed in the command shuttle, awaiting word. Waiting for her capture so he can interrogate this Rey of Jakku.

“Sir.” Phasma reported. “She is not in the Cantina. She is not in her quarters. But we have held all who know her. She may come back.”

“Does she have family?”

“No sir. Plutt said she arrived here about a year ago. He doesn’t know where she is from. He said that she said she doesn’t know either”

Kylo Ren was an emotionless mask. But inside he felt - what is this - hope? No. Ben Solo is dead. Rey was dead. He has to focus. Whoever this girl is, she has the map to Luke Skywalker.

“Show me her quarters”

—-

Kylo was almost too big to fit into the small room. He waved Phasma away.

“Leave me”

He took off his mask.

Rey.

He felt her. She was here. Not Rey of Jakku. Rey. His Rey.

—-

He remembered her face. The way she smiled at him. How close she was to him when they were poring over the books together.

How she felt in his arms as she was sobbing uncontrollably. That vision.

No. Enough. You are here to find the data stick. And bring it back to Master Snoke.

Master Snoke. He said..he said she was dead. But she wasn’t.

Kylo looked around. There was nothing. A flimsy one quarter portion and some water. All her things fit into one sealed crate. It must be in there. He opened it up.

—-

A few clothes, a few books. No data stick. The crate was completely empty now. Kylo felt his anger rise.

He was angry at this empty crate.

He was angry at his failed mission.

He was angry at Snoke, for lying to him.

At Luke Skywalker, for not facing him and running off.

 _He was angry at Rey_ , for being alive all this time. The pain of losing her fueled him for so long. The shame of thinking he had killed her. Why didn’t she stay with him? Why didn’t she try to come back for him? She left him for dead.

He was angry at this place. What is she doing here? Out in the middle of nowhere?

He didn’t even use his saber. He used his gloved hand to destroy the flimsy wood crate.

—-

There was a false bottom. There was more in the crate - and he recognized it instantly.

_Her Jedi Academy robes._

_Her saber._

_That notebook._

Kylo took her saber.

He opened her notebook. The data stick fell out. Kylo reached down to take it and saw her notebook.

The data stick was hidden within these pages. Still with some burn marks from Rey accidentally setting it on fire with her force lightning.

For one brief moment, Ben Solo cried out from inside him. From inside the mighty dark side enforcer Kylo Ren.

—-

“Sir. Did you find it?”

“No. Have the men do a thorough search. We need to continue looking for the girl”

But sir-

Kylo raised one finger at Phasma. “Look for the girl. Bring her to me. Alive.”

—-

He knows they wouldn’t find her. If it’s anything she’s good at, it’s hiding.

But she can’t hide from him. Not anymore.

Knowing she was alive renewed his strength in the Force. He will find her.

—

Rey had no idea where to go. She didn’t even know why she was running. But she knew those First Order ships were bad news. What were they here for? There’s nothing here on Jakku they would want.

_Except the data stick. The one that points them to where Luke Skywalker, the Last Jedi, is hiding. You absolute dummy._

Rey’s eyes widened. She didn’t even think of that right away. She just left it there in her tiny room behind the Cantina.

—

She needs to go back and get it.

All the walls she has built up in the past year came crashing down.

Why didn’t she get that over to General Leia? Why did she just keep it, like an idiot, knowing how badly The First Order must be looking for it? Why didn’t she just try to look for Master Luke herself?

Because she didn’t want to think of that night. She didn’t want to know. She ran away even from that. It was too painful, knowing what happened to all of them. What happened to –

_“You’re hard to find”_

Rey turned around. She was face to face with a tall hooded dark figure. KYLO REN. She drew her staff.

—

“That’s not going to work against me _”_ Kylo said, mockingly.

“Try me” Rey hissed. She’s brought down large men before. Well maybe not this large. She tries to whack him on his side. Kylo catches the staff and breaks it apart with his hand.

“You’re going to need this.” He throws her her saber.

—

Rey was puzzled. Why is he- giving me a weapon. She turns it on. The yellow light was familiar, soothing. She hasn’t used it since she left the Academy. She only used it during battle exercises.

Kylo turns his saber on too and assumes start position. It’s uneven, crackling light red against the sand.

Rey didn’t give him the courtesy of a start position and just lunges at him.

Kylo parries her blows easily. Rey gets increasingly frustrated as Kylo just moves from left to right, not even attacking.

‘’I’m never telling you where it is, you MONSTER.’’

‘’You don’t need it. If you needed it you would’ve done what Lor San Tekka asked you to. Why didn’t you?’’

Rey was confused, and angry. Why was Kylo Ren..talking to her. He’s not done, either.

‘’And I’m a monster? Maybe. Yeah, maybe you’re right.’’

She kept trying to hit him. He kept circling around her. Was he..was he enjoying this?? She lunged again. Their lightsabers locked

‘’What are you talking about - You KiLLED ALL THoSE Students! You ARE A MONSTER!!’’

He pushed her off. ‘’ _YES I AM.’’_ he growled. As he patiently waits for her to get up off the sand.

‘’I’m not letting you get to Master Luke.’’ Rey defiantly says as she gets up off the sand

‘’Try and stop me. You’re doing a great job so far.’’

Rey was exhausted. She hasn’t really fought before. But she can’t let him win.

She held her saber. She closed her eyes.

Kylo wasn’t attacking. He was just still circling her. Watching her access the Force.

She felt the Force flow through her. She felt calm.

Then she remembered who he was. What he did. What he took from her. She opened her eyes.

‘’YOU KILLED BEN SOLO!!’’ Her arm stretched out and lightning shot out of her fingers.

Kylo Ren stepped back and raised his saber to protect himself. The lightning was deflected up into the sky. He raised his other hand and stopped Rey. Suddenly she couldn’t move.

_Stop. Stop now._

Kylo inched closer to her. Rey was still paralyzed. She couldn’t even talk. But inside she was terrified. She was terrified of herself. She was terrified of Kylo Ren. Of what he would do.

Kylo was now in her ear.

_“Don’t be afraid, Rey.”_

With a wave of his hand Rey lost consciousness. But even before she drops to the sand he already has her. In his arms.

—-

Phasma saw him, from afar.

 _Lower the bridge,_ she ordered _. Kylo Ren is coming. Go, help him! He has the girl._

The two stormtroopers ran to Kylo.

_Sir - we can take the prisoner._

**“No.”**

He just kept walking.

—-

Kylo Ren was in the Command Shuttle and was heading to the quarters.

_Sir. The detention cell is over there._

Dammit Phasma.

“Ah yes. Leave us. I will commence interrogation”

This room wasn’t comfortable. She’d have to be bound in the interrogation bed. He lay Rey as softly as possible and bound her in the least restraining setting.

Then he sat in the only stool he can find there and waited for her to wake up.

It’s really her. Rey. She looks different, but still beautiful. Even more so. The way her nose scrunched up when she was angry.. he smiled under his mask.

She called him a monster. She knows..about what happened at the Academy. Lor San Tekka must have told her. His heart sank.

But what really surprised him was when she said that he killed Ben Solo.

_She thinks I’m dead._

All this time she thought I was dead. She doesn’t know who I’ve become. I’ll show her who I’ve become.

——

Rey woke up in the cold First Order detention cell. She was bound on her hands and feet. She looked around. Everything was so shiny. New. Cold. And then she saw him.

Rey saw the masked hooded figure at her feet.

But she wasn’t scared. She felt - strong. Stronger than she had in a long time.

“I’ll never tell you where it is” she spat out. ‘’Let me go’’

Kylo took the data stick out of his robes, showed it to her and cocked his head to the right.

Rey gasped. Master Luke. He was going to find him. And kill him.

“Why am I here? Are you hunting us all down? Are you going to kill us ALL?”

Kylo was just looking at her as he put the data stick back into his robes.

“Are you going to kill me like you - “ Rey’s voice broke. No she was not going to cry in front of this monster “—like you killed Ben Solo??”

Kylo Ren stood up.

“Ben Solo is gone. You don’t need him anymore.”

Rey broke at the thought of Ben Solo. She kept it hidden inside for so long. But she was angry now, angry that this monster took him from her.

“YOU’RE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DiD!!” She spat out

_“You RAN AWAY. You left him. You **LEFT HIM THERE** ”_ Kylo growled into his mask.

Rey was taken aback. How does he know – why was he so angry?

“I -“ Rey started crying. “I..I wanted to save him” she sobbed. The familiar guilt washing over her.

Kylo’s anger turned to sadness. “Maybe you did.”

Rey looked at Kylo Ren. “Stop lying to me. Stop it.’’ 

Rey wishes he WILL end up finding Luke Skywalker. He underestimates Master Luke. Master Luke will face him down, and the whole First Order.

‘’Just go ahead. Finish us all. I’m the last of them. I’m a nobody”

“Maybe. Maybe you’re a nobody _”_ Kylo Ren moved closer. Rey instinctively moved her head away. Maybe this is it. Maybe this is how she dies.

_“But not to me”_

Rey looked at this hooded figure in an impenetrable mask. The mighty Kylo Ren. The terror of the First Order.

He reaches behind his mask to activate it.

‘’The thing is, Rey - we are all our own person, with our own potential….’’

It opens up with a hiss.

‘’…To be encumbered by who our parents were, who our family is … is limiting who we are’’

Kylo Ren pulls it up off his head.

—-

The first thing she saw was his hair. Jet black. Long. Wavy.

Then his lips. She knows those lips. It was in her dreams every single day.

Then she wondered for a moment, if she has already completely lost her mind.

Ben Solo.

——

“Ben?”

She wanted to break the restraints and run into his arms, let him know how worried she was, how glad she was that he was alive.

But all the stories came rushing back. Kylo Ren- killing all the students at the academy. Kylo Ren - terrorizing villages. Him and his knights hot on the heels of the Resistance, killing and maiming all on their path. Lor San Tekka, bloodied on the Cantina booth.

“Ben..no. This isn’t you”

_“Ben Solo is dead. I am more powerful now than you can ever imagine.”_

“You gave in to the voices Ben”

 _“You weren’t there to stop it”_ he sounded almost - hurt. “ _But I can save you now Rey. Rey. Stay with me. I can protect you now”_

“What - are you TALKING ABOUT?? I saved myself. I protected myself.”

“Master Snoke showed me that you were going to die Rey. Only I can save you”

“He’s a liar Ben. He’s from the dark side. They are liars. What I saw that night -“

“-when you were…with me _?”_ Kylo Ren allowed himself to smile a little

Rey wasn’t distracted. Okay maybe a little.

“Ben-what I saw - after we..”

“After we _\- what?”_ Kylo cocked his head to the right

Rey ignored him. “..you - you died. I took your Life Force Ben. I left so .. so we can never be together and you would have a chance to live.” It seems so stupid now. But she was younger and she..had compassion for him.

 _“_ Well” Kylo waved his hand across the room “I am living now aren’t I. You did save me. I am alive”

“Depends on what your idea of living is.” Rey scoffed

—-

“This is who I am now. Ever since I was young the Dark Side has been calling to me, and now I am home. They need me here. I belong here”

“You don’t belong here. You belong with your family.”

“It’s too late for me Rey. I can never come home to my mother”

“But Master Luke is alive Ben - he can help you -“

 _“Master Luke TRIED TO KILL ME_ ” he roared.

“No - he couldn’t have” she didn’t flinch.

Ben moved closer to Rey. He took off his glove.

“Ben.” Rey whispered “What are you doing”

He reached for her hand. He unlocked the restraint on her right hand. Then he knelt beside her.

“Look into my mind Rey. Into my memories. I need you to see” _he_ looked up at her. And for a brief moment, she saw him, in his pleading eyes. Ben Solo. He was in there.

—-

She raised her hand. She touched his hair. His eyes were locked on her. As she took her time caressing his face. His ears. Back to his hair. Ben. Come back to me.

Kylo was breaking. Please, Rey – just look inside.

Rey closed her eyes and her hand settled on the side of Kylo Ren’s head. And she saw.

She saw all his thoughts that night.

Thoughts about her.

He..he really wanted to save me.

All the voices in his head. Promising him power. Power he only wanted so he can be with her.

She saw Master Luke’s lightsaber light up his quarters.

She saw Master Luke - his face twisted and possessed - raise his saber to kill Ben Solo.

She took her hand off his head.

“Ben…” she was crying

“You weren’t there Rey. You didn’t stay with me. The voices all came. All of them. They came for me”

“Maybe they came for him too, Ben.”

“I..I don’t know anymore.” This was Ben Solo. He was in there.

“Ben..but the students”

“I don’t know what happened. Master Snoke said I killed them all. I don’t remember anything. I thought..I thought I killed you too”

“You believe him.”

“It doesn’t matter now. I’ve killed so many, Rey”

—-

“It’s not too late”

Ben looked down. Of course it was.

“Master Luke can help us”

“Master Luke can help YOU. Find him”

He places the data stick in her hand.

“Ben. Join me. Come with me.”

“It’s too late now. Find him. And hide. Hide with him. Soon the First Order will rule the galaxy. We have ships Rey - to destroy entire planets. We will bring a new order to the Galaxy” Kylo Ren was creeping back in.

“I’ll bring you to my Escape Shuttle. Go to the Resistance. I know where they are. Find my mother. Find Luke. Tell everyone to run. Go to the Outer Rim. Rey, please. This is your only chance to get out of here alive.,.''

he was unlocking all of her restraints now. The harsh metal sound sounded like his heart breaking.

''..I'll come back for you, I promise''

\--

“No....no” She pleaded. But Rey knew he was telling the truth. The entire First Order was right outside that door. They will kill them both.

“Rey - please. You’re my only hope”

“...No. Ben Solo. I’ll come back for YOU”.


	5. The Rebels

“She got away. She took my Escape Shuttle.”

Hux sneered at Ren. An incompetent buffoon. First an eighty year old man and now this tiny girl.

“Master Snoke, I will find them — “ Snoke raised his hand and Kylo Ren flew back in a haze of lightning bolts

_“Enough Ren. General Hux. Commence the operation on Hosnian Prime. Let us snuff out the last of this pathetic Republic”_

—-

Rey’s head was a whirlwind of thoughts as she flew his Command Shuttle to Yavin 4

Kylo Ren knew exactly where the Resistance base was. Why has he never sent the First Order to attack it?

Ben is still in there. Ben was in here in this shuttle. She can feel him. All around her. He saw her saber on the control panel. He returned it to her. She smiled.

He was alive. And she’ll come back for him.

She’ll save him.

—-

Kylo Ren watched the Starkiller gather power. He watched it aim at Hosnian Prime. The last remnant of the Republic.

He felt nothing.

All these politics angered him. It meant nothing to him. All he knew was that this endless war took his mother away from him and he longed for it to be over. The First Order was doing the right thing here, he thought. No more wars. Just one system. No more children left at home for parents to fight pointless wars. Like he was.

She was never home. He was left alone to battle with his demons.

Well not completely alone. His father was mostly around to watch over him. He played with him a lot. He let him play with his blasters.

“It’s just you and me kid” he’d always say, once his mother leaves.

Kylo Ren looked up. The blast was starting to reach Hosnian Prime. It makes contact. He felt nothing.

And then a searing pain.

——

Leia felt it. A great disturbance in the Force. She has felt it once before, when Darth Vader - her Father - ordered the attack on Alderaan.

She sat down. It can’t be. It can’t be happening again.

She felt her legs give way.

“General Organa” Rose caught her in time. “General what is it”

“It has begun. Go Rose. Alert the troops. We need to launch a counterstrike”

“Yes General - “

Rose leaves Leia alone with her thoughts.

—-

She knows her son is alive.

She knows her son has been taken.

She knows her son is the mighty Kylo Ren.

She is his mother.

She knows he was hearing voices.

She knows he was struggling with the dark side.

She knows, with every fiber of her being, that there is still light in him.

She is his mother.

And her love will never waver.

A mother’s love never does.

She has made mistakes. Both of them did. Han, and her. Both of them suffered.

But they never stopped loving him.

Han.

**HAN.**

Han was in Hosnian Prime.

—-

Leia clutched her heart. First Alderaan. Now this. The Empire, the Dark Side, the First Order. They took EVERYTHING FROM HER.

Her family. Her Ben. Her Han.

She can feel the darkness creeping in.

Ben is gone. Han is gone.

There is no more hope.

There is no hope.

Everything is gone.

_Leia. No one is ever really gone._

Luke. You left me too.

_I’ll never leave you Leia._

_Look outside._

—

She stared out her window, half expecting Luke to be standing there on the Yavin 4 tarmac with his goofy grin. There was nothing.

The alarms rang out through the entire base.

“General Organa! A First Order escape shuttle is approaching. Shall we attack now?”

“Hold your horses, Dameron. It may be a deserter. Get the defenses ready but let them land”

Was this what Luke sent her?

——

A wisp of a girl really, Leia thought. Not unlike herself all those years ago.

She watched Rey hug Rose and greet all the Resistance troops as she makes her way to Leia.

“General Organa. I have this from Lor San Tekka - Luke left it before he fled the Academy. Lor San Tekka asked me to get it to a jedi – ‘’

Leia looked around. ‘’Well that’s not me..Have you tried to open the file, Rey”

She has. There were a few data readers in Jakku and none of them worked.

“It won’t open on anything I had with me General”

Leia called over R2 D2. “Knowing Luke, this would have been the only way this would work”

She placed the data stick. There was no map. It was..a riddle? Cmon Luke! Leia thought.

_Out beyond the ideas of right-doing and wrongdoing,_

_there is a field,_

_I will meet you there._

——

Rey recognized it right away.

She looked around, everyone else was just staring at it. The tech team started to run some algorithms to decode it.

She was confused. Nobody else recognized this? Oh right. It was a special lesson. Just for her and Ben.

Even Leia was just looking at the quote. Rey sat beside her. “I need to speak to you General.”

“Wait Rey - I..need to understand this riddle”

“It’s not a riddle General. I know where he is”

“Tell me”. Leia gestured to her office.

—-

“General Organa - this was something Master Luke talked about at a lesson we had .. “ Rey wasted no time.

“Rey. Tell me something” Leia was changing the subject

“But General - the clue”

“..you came on a First Order Escape Shuttle. Kylo Ren’s escape shuttle”

Rey caught her breath.

“Did you see him? Did you see my son?”

She knew. She knew who Kylo Ren was.

“Don’t look so surprised Rey. I knew the first time I heard of Kylo Ren, mystical war dog of the First Order, strong with the Force” Leia always knew he’d grow up to be someone important, perhaps not like this though. “I’m his mother, Rey.”

“Ben Solo is alive General. I saw him. There is light in him”

Leia smiled. She reminded her so much of herself. All sparky and hopeful.

“How did you know him, Rey”

Rey - blushed? Leia gave her an encouraging, knowing smile.

“We were in the Jedi Academy together We were .. “ Rey was searching for the word - “..friends.”

Leia raised her eyebrows and smirked.

—-

“That quote, General” Rey went back to the matter at hand. “It was in Master Luke’s lesson that morning”

“A lesson?”

“About Anakin...”

Leia flinched. Why was Luke telling the kids about Darth Vader? It was still too raw for her.

“..and Padme”

Her mother. She still sees her, in visions, in dreams. She was beautiful. Her words, her presence was even more so.

Now, more than ever, she wishes her mother were here.

“General- Master Luke is in Mustafar.”

——

“Mustafar???”

Leia knew Vader cultists swarmed the place. This was literally the last place Luke would go. He can’t have gone there. They wouldn’t take too kindly to the Skywalker that defeated Darth Vader.

“In the story, Anakin settled in Mustafar. This is where he tried to bring Padme back. He was trying to access the World between Worlds in Mustafar, to find her, and bring her back. This was where the quote was from. This was his prayer, for Padme.”

“Rey it’s too dangerous”

“Then let’s take the fleet. We need to find Master Luke and - “

“No, Rey. The First Order is tracking that ship you came in on. They will be here soon. We are getting ready to fight”

——

Rey was horrified. She led the First Order HERE.

“Then I have to take the ship there.”

“Rey. You have no idea what you’re dealing with. We’ll launch our mission to retrieve Luke as soon as we secure the base”

“But..”

“That is final”

—-

Rey walked around the resistance base. This isn’t right. If Master Luke was in danger she should go and help him. She was done running. She was done hiding.

 _“Rey, please. You’re my only hope”_ she heard Ben’s last words to her in her head. In his full Kylo Ren regalia. Ben is in there, she believes it.

The Resistance was scurrying about getting ready for the First Order attack. There was only one thing for her to do.

She snuck into Kylo Ren’s escape craft and set course for Mustafar.

——

Rey had never seen so much red in the whole galaxy.

The entire planet was made of lava and rocks it seems. Why would Luke go here?

She found a place to land, near a patch of iron trees.

In the shadows, Vader cultists wait for her to disembark.

—-

Phasma has tracked the Escape Craft to Yavin 4.

_We have found the rebel base, General Hux._

Good. Power up the Starkiller. We will snuff out the Resistance once and for all.

—-

Kylo Ren felt Starkiller power up.

What is happening. Hosnian Prime was already destroyed like they planned. They destroyed the Republic. They destroyed everyone on it.

His father. His father was in Hosnian Prime.

Kylo’s spirit was split to the bone. Rey coming back to him, alive this whole time. His father, killed by the First Order. All the lies he has been told. All the people he was asked to kill.

“I gave everything I had to the First Order, to the Dark Side” he was speaking to his grandfather’s burned out helmet, a relic from the Dark Side. “What have I done.”

_Finish what I started. You have to do what I haven’t done -_

Kylo Ren ignited his lightsaber and destroyed Vader’s helmet. He was done being the First Order’s war dog. He was done with the Dark Side. He just needed to do one thing.

——

“General Hux. Why are we powering up Starkiller.”

‘’Oh so nice of you to join us Ren. Are you done with your afternoon prayers?’’ Hux said sarcastically

He ignored Hux. “What are we destroying General.”

“Yavin 4. That girl is there. So is the rebel base. Finally we can wipe out the last of the pathetic resistance”

“Good.” Kylo Ren muttered through his mask.

—

Leia had a billion orders to give out. They were getting ready for the inevitable flood of Stormtroopers and First Order ships. It was just a matter of time.

She wasn’t worried. Yavin was a fortress, and the Resistance had excellent air and ground troops.

She wanted to talk more with Rey, ask about her son. But there is no time. She wanted a moment – she needed several moments – to mourn her husband.

But there is no time. The Resistance needed her now. She has to --

**“RUN”**

****

The voice was loud in her head. It was a voice she has not heard in a long time. But one that she will never forget.

**“RUN, MOTHER. RUN AWAY.”**

It was her Ben. Her sweet boy. Her heart full of joy, then regret, then pain - there was only one thing to say

“BEN. I LOVE YOU.”

**“I KNOW.”**

Leia immediately gave the orders to evacuate.

—-

The First Order was a flurry of activity.

Nobody saw the Escape craft leave Yavin 4.

_Where are you going Rey._

Ben Solo turned off the tracker. He can’t risk the First Order knowing where she is.

_I’ll find you._


	6. Mustafar

Luke opened his eyes, disoriented.

He was pinned under a burning beam.

He was at the Academy, but the Academy was..gone. He pushed off the beam and looked around.

Luke Skywalker, The Most Powerful Jedi

Luke Skywalker, Resistance Hero

Luke Skywalker, Losing his grip on reality

—-

He sat there for hours.

For a moment he considered taking his saber and ending it all.

_“Luke”_

Anakin.

_“The Dark Side is rising. There is only one way to end it once and for all”_

No. He was done being a hero. He was done with the Force. It has led - to this.

It must have been Ben. He sensed his power, more dark side in him than any of them ever imagined.

Father, what has he done.

_“Ben Solo has done nothing wrong”_

‘’Of course you’ll take his side.’’

_“Look into your heart Luke. You know it to be true.”_

\----

Luke knew. The dark side is strong in him, but he has too much of his father’s heart. He will rise as a powerful enemy, but he didn’t kill these students today. But who. How -

_“An old enemy has risen. They will bring more death and destruction to the Galaxy than anyone ever imagined. The Sith rises, Luke. They have Ben. They will try to finish what I started on Mustafar. But in their hands, this power will destroy everything and enslave all for a millennia. There is only one way to ensure this will not happen.”_

Luke thought of Leia. Of the children, all the different species in the Galaxy. This is the only way he can atone for all this death and destruction. No more. No more of this.

“But I am alone father. And Ben has been lost to the Dark Side.”

_“You are not alone. A thousand generations live in you now. And there is another.”_

—-

Rey gingerly made her way down the ship.

She looked around. There it is. Darth Vader’s castle. Master Luke must be there.

She palmed her saber. The iron trees loomed above her.

She sensed danger. She was right.

The cultists came out of nowhere - and grabbed Rey.

—-

She came to in a dark dungeon.

Her vision was blurry but it soon focused on a painting on the wall.

A woman - wild brown hair, fair skin. Who was this?

_“Her name was Lady Corvax”_ a familiar voice said.

“Master Luke!”

“Rey, how are you ? Did they hurt you?” He checked her wounds.

“Master Luke..” Rey was still disoriented - and astonished to see her old Master.

“You’ve had the pleasure of meeting the delightful Alazmec of Winsit. Cultists loyal to Darth Vader and even more devoted to the Corvax Fen, which-unfortunately- you landed on”

“My father helped me get into this castle. Turns out all the goons around it were big fans of his and literally wet their pants at the sight of his force ghost” Luke chuckled. ‘’They’re pretty protective of the Corvax Fen, I don’t think they like you very much’’

“You’re not making a lot of sense to me right now but I’m just glad to see you”

“Well, I’m glad to see you too.”

“Why are you here, Master Luke?”

—-

 _“Out beyond the ideas of right-doing and wrongdoing, there is a field I will meet you there’’_ Luke said, dramatically ‘’You cracked the code, kid’’

“What field? This is a terrible place. All red and metal”

“It is now. It used to be a lush, verdant planet.” Luke stared out. ‘’Now it’s dead – save for all these valuable minerals – valuable to the Empire, and now, the First Order. This is where they get all the minerals they need for their terrible weapons.’’

“What happened?? Who..was she?” Rey looked at the painting again.

\----

Luke sat down. ‘’This is a long story Rey, but you have to listen. This is about you too’’

Rey just looked at Luke. “I need to know Master Luke. I need to know my place in all of this’’

‘’Long before the rise of the Galactic Empire, Lady Corvax and her husband resided on Mustafar, which was then a lush planet thriving with life, and the two spouses lived in harmony with the natives. They were both powerful Force users. One fateful day, however, Mustafar came under attack, and Corvax's husband fell in battle, sword in hand. Struck with grief, the woman stole the most sacred artifact of the Mustafarians, the Bright Starcrystal, to power her Aeon Engine, which she hoped could resurrect her love.’’

‘’The Aeon Engine’’ Rey was trying to remember where she heard this before.

‘’She failed, Rey. And she destroyed this planet in the process. The powerful energies that burst from the Bright Star transformed the beautiful planet of Mustafar into a hellscape'' 

Rey looked at another painting. ''The Devastation of Mustafar'' Luke explained

'' After that, Corvax kept the artifact hidden in her sanctum, whose key could only be used by one of her bloodline - and only her bloodline can recover the Bright Star’’

Luke looked Rey straight in the eyes.

‘’She hoped that, one day, a future descendant would be able to recover the Bright Star, bring it back to the Mustafarians, and perhaps repair some of the damage she had done.’’

—-

Rey was reeling. This is - all too much.

“This is what Anakin was doing here, Rey. He was trying to access the Aeon Engine to bring back —“

“Padme. Did he do it?”

“He tried. He tried to find someone from Lady Corvax’s bloodline. But there was no one. Until now.”

Rey looked at the painting. Lady Corvax, just trying to get back her lost love - ravaging this whole planet and still not getting him back. Lady Corvax, with her wild brown hair and searching eyes -

 _“It is you Rey. _Your ancestors hid for a long time especially when word got out that Vader was searching for your bloodline. Even when Vader died and the Empire fell, they hid.”

Rey searched her own memories. Her father - playing with her with tears in his eyes. Her mother, gently bundling her up.

“They brought you to me, Rey. To protect you.”

“Why? Vader was gone by then”

“Palpatine saw what Vader was doing, and thought it was foolish of him to harness all this power to bring back one person. The Bright Star has the power to nourish worlds. But also to transform them - into this volcanic hellscape. Imagine, world upon world not destroyed into useless pieces like Alderaan, but transformed into an endless supply of minerals to create even more weapons.”

“And imagine the Aeon in the hands of the Dark Side. All the Sith, back from the World between Worlds. We will all perish”

\-----

Rey was horrified. It would be the end of everything.

“From Palpatine came the First Order. They are still trying to activate the Bright Star. They are still looking for the bloodline.”

“Do they know - do they know it’s me?”

“No. They only know it’s someone Force Sensitive, as Lady Corvax was. This is why they..” Luke paused, all mirth gone from his voice “..massacred the students. They looked for the bloodline at the Jedi Academy. When they didn't sense it, they killed them all”

\---

Rey was in shock. She shook her head in disbelief. If she stayed, none of them would have died - but they would all have died anyway once the Dark Side rose to power. She wished there was a way she can undo what has been done. To all of them. To the students. To Ben.

“It..It wasn’t Ben.” She whispered

“No Rey. They need Ben, they need his powers to carry out their plans. They took him and corrupted him with the dark side, from a very young age. He is being groomed to be a powerful Sith - more powerful than Vader. They were going to use his power, to break the curse. This is why they took him”

Rey longed to see him again. To let him know he didn’t do it. That it wasn’t too late.

“You have the blood of Lady Corvax running through your veins, Rey. Only you can enter the Sanctum. Only you can wield the Bright Star, renew Mustafar and protect it from falling into the hands of the Dark Side.”

—-

It was too easy.

A little TOO easy.

The Sanctum was in the lowest part of the castle - Rey and Luke were cautious but they encountered nothing.

Luke handed Rey the key. “All up to you now, Mustafarian Princess.” He winked

She really wishes he’d stop joking at a time like this

She inserted the key into the slot. It opened immediately.

—

The Aeon engine was in the middle of the large room. It was a huge pyramid - over 15 feet high. The Bright Star, a brilliant stone no bigger than Rey’s hand, was nestled in the middle of the engine, pulsating dark red light into the ground.

Rey was transfixed.

“Master Luke. What do I do now?”

“Well...this isn’t in any of the sacred jedi texts...I’m guessing you just..turn that thing off.”

Rey approached the engine . The red pulsating light was almost hypnotic. Menacing . Like it didn’t want Rey to go near it.

She reached out. She tried to take it. It wouldn’t budge. She tried to wriggle it out. She looked for a switch of some sort. Something was wrong.

The Bright Star was waiting for her soul to be complete. She was part of a Dyad.

\----

“Master Luke, do I just .. take it? It’s not moving” Rey asked, still transfixed “Master Luke? Maybe come and help me?” She asked. Still pulling on the stone. “Look maybe I shouldn’t - “

**“DO IT”**

Rey spun around. Master Luke!!!

Her master lay on the ground, paralyzed, lightning circling his body.

—-

It can’t be. It can’t be him.

A gruesome figure stood in the doorway, looking like death himself. His body was wasting away but his eyes shone bright - a sickly yellow sheen.

**“Long have I waited”** Palpatine sneered

**“And now, the bloodline of Lady Corvax is here at LAST!!”**

Rey drew her saber.

**“You cannot kill me stupid child. Not even your precious Master Luke could. Not even Darth Vader”**

Rey just gripped her saber tighter.

**“My powers are beyond Death. And now - you will help me rebuild the ETERNAL SITH EMPIRE!!”**

“NEVER! I will never help you!”

—-

Ben Solo landed in Mustafar and saw the Escape Pod.

Rey.

He ran. Fast.

—

Palpatine cackled.

**“Take the Bright Star. GIVE IT TO ME”**

“No!”

Palpatine shot out a fresh bolt of lightning right into Luke Skywalker.

**“BRING IT TO ME- or he dies!”**

Luke just looked at her. And shook his head. Don’t do it, Rey. Don’t give it to him.

“Master Luke!!” Rey cried out “Please stop!” she yelled at Palpatine

Palpatine just kept on cackling.

“I SAID STOP!!”

Rey shot out Force lightning from her own hand, knocking out Palpatine.

\----

**“Aah yes. Of course. The descendant of Lady Corvax is a powerful Force user. You would have served the Dark Side well.”**

“Never.”

**“No. You are weak. You are flawed. You are nobody”**

Rey knew what she had to do. She approached him.

_“I am not nobody. I am a descendant of Lady Corvax. And you need me._

_You need ME to take the Bright Star._

_And you will take it from me and destroy the galaxy with the Dark Side.”_

Rey knew she had the strength to do it. She thought of Ben, tormented by the Dark Side all his life. She was his only hope. She was the galaxy’s only hope.

_“..And I will NEVER let you.”_

Rey plunged her yellow lightsaber into her abdomen.

——

**NOOOOoOoOoOoOOoOoOOOoOoO!!**

Palpatine’s scream echoed across Darth Vader’s castle.

He fell into a heap on the floor. That stupid girl!

Luke Skywalker rose up and with the last of his strength, raised up his saber and with one swift move, sliced off Sheev Palpatine’s head.

It rolled off into the Aeon machine. And disappeared in a spark of bright red light. Palpatine’s broken body slumped into a heap.

I did it father, he smiled. I finished what you started.

Luke felt at peace. He closed his eyes and felt himself being One with the Force.

Peace. And Purpose.

——

Ben heard the voice scream.

Rey. No.

Ben reached the sanctum.

Rey.

He saw her on the floor, saber still impaled on her abdomen. Her lightsaber drew a fatal wound.

He ran to her lifeless body.

Rey.

Ben was sobbing now. He fell to the floor and scooped Rey up in his arms. Rey, wake up.

\--- 

Rey, Rey what have you done.

He held her in his arms.

You did it Rey. You saved me. You saved me. Please wake up.

He looked around for any help. Master Luke is gone. There was nobody there.

He knows what he has to do.

This is what his grandfather wasn’t able to accomplish. All his power, all his training – this was what it was for.

He places his hand over her wound and closed his eyes.

_Stay With Me._

_Stay With Me._

_Stay With Me._

__

He felt his Life Force flow into her.

—-

Rey was falling. It was dark.

Then a flicker of - candlight? Then familiar walls. Was this - the Jedi Academy quarters?

She felt something. A hand.

Ben Solo. Ben Solo’s hand.

She opened her eyes.

—-

The first thing she saw was his large frame blocking out the light.

His eyes were closed. “Stay with me” he was whispering. Over and over. “Stay with me”

She gripped his hand.

He looked down at her hand, then met her eyes.

“Rey.” He helped her up “Rey”

“Ben. You came back for me”

Ben smiled. “You saved me”

Rey held his face, his hair, his ears, his smile. “Ben” she smiled back.

She can feel him pull her closer. His hand on her back. Then her neck.

“I’ll come back for you Rey. In every lifetime I’ll come back for you”

Their lips met in a haze of pent up passion, longing, and a blinding flash of blue light.

—-

The Bright Star was no longer pulsating red energy into the ground.

It was bright blue, glowing and pulsating brightly as it liquefied and became one with the earth.

Slowly, the life force descended upon Mustafar - the barren soil started to sprout lush greenery. The rivers of lava transformed into sparkling blue rivers , teeming with life. The Mustafarians looked around. The Bright Star has returned to us. Mustafar has become alive again.

The Bright Star is safe. Back into the heart of Mustafar, where the First Order will never be able to get it.

Lady Corvax’s soul was finally at peace.

——

Ben and Rey said a prayer for Master Luke, as they bury his robes and his saber in the reborn Mustafar fields.


	7. A New Home

Epilogue:

They would visit every year, and tell their children about the great Luke Skywalker. They listen,transfixed and quiet in the lush green Mustafar hills, until their grandmother calls them in for dinner.

Then they scurry back into the castle, trying to be the first to get to grandma’s table.

Ben watches the children closely.

‘’Don’t worry about it Ben. They are safe.’’ Rey wraps her arms on his one thick arm and looks up at her handsome husband. ‘’What you need to worry about is me finishing all your mom’s awesome cooking’’ She kisses him on the cheek as she starts to makes her way to the castle herself.

Ben doesn’t let her hand go.

‘’Stay with me’’ he pulls her back into his arms and kisses his beautiful Rey. 

\-----

Without an endless source of material for weapons, and without the power of the Dark Side – the First Order was soon defeated by the strengthening Resistance.

Soon, they were able to rebuild the Republic – right there on Mustafar - where Ben and Rey also train a new generation of Jedi - with a new code:

Flowing through all, there is balance

There is no peace without a passion to create

There is no passion without peace to guide

Knowledge fades without the strength to act

Power blinds without the serenity to see

There is freedom in life

There is purpose in death

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, and wrote it while processing post TRoS feelings.  
> #BenSoloLives
> 
> @missporgy
> 
> Movie still images are from Disney/Lucasfilm or Wookiepedia. I do not own any rights (which is why I made this fanfic teehee)  
> Jedi and Sith Codes from Wallpaper Safari  
> Drawings are mine. Follow me on IG @missporgy


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